Overview

Key Dates

March 28

Thurgood Marshall Award ceremony

A dynamic community of passionate difference makers

Quinnipiac University School of Law is at the forefront of a rapidly changing legal landscape. With continued shifts in health care, immigration, human rights and cyber-crime law, exciting career opportunities are emerging for those who are well prepared.

Our ABA-approved curriculum blends strong academics with a range of experiential learning opportunities. As you master the law, you’ll have many chances to apply what you've learned — in our pro-bono legal clinics and student-run organizations, through externships at firms, courts, corporations and nonprofits, or during a national legal competition. You'll be led by distinguished, accessible faculty who are experienced in specialties ranging from immigration to labor law.

Our scenic, interprofessional campus — situated north of New Haven, between New York City and Boston — is composed of graduate students from medicine, health sciences, nursing and education. This creates a powerful learning environment that emphasizes integrative learning and creative problem solving. All of this is why our law school is growing with 30 percent more students versus last year.

If you’re passionate about affecting positive change and thrive in an environment that fosters collaboration and connection, we invite you to take a closer look.

Academics

Legal education meets legal action

Our curriculum is deliberately structured to give you a well-rounded legal education that thoughtfully integrates theory and practice. Our bar pass rate for first-time test takers in July 2017 was 85%, compared to the corresponding state average of 79%.

With eight concentrations in disciplines including intellectual property, health law, international policy and criminal law and advocacy, our JD program is as varied as the law itself. We offer dual-degrees in business, environmental law and social work, plus a master of laws (LLM) program and a health care compliance certificate. If you know early on that you want to earn your JD, our innovative (3+3) BA/JD or BS/JD program allows you to earn a bachelor’s degree and complete law school in six years.

Beyond doctrine, students put their knowledge to work through a range of practical, hands-on learning. Our Center on Dispute Resolution combines mock mediation sessions and work in the Civil Justice Clinic, with judges, mediators and practicing attorneys to coach you. In our Center for Health, Law and Policy you’ll learn the intricacies of complex health care industry issues from experienced medical faculty and health law professionals.

Whatever your primary legal interests may be, we provide numerous outlets, venues and courses of study for you to start turning legal theory into legal practice.

Theory and practice

Justin Soares, JD ‘18, takes notes during an informational session about the Bar application process held on the law school’s campus.

1L Student Profile

A place for collegial learners

When you enroll at Quinnipiac School of Law, you’ll join a diverse student body, with individuals from various backgrounds and ethnicities. This includes recent college graduates, experienced professionals and parents returning to school after raising their children.

Our students are hard-working, collaborative and committed to maintaining a learning environment that is collegial and supportive. Beyond getting good grades, our students are often found volunteering, playing sports or stretching their leadership skills through one or more of our student organizations.

17%

Self-identified students of color

62

Undergraduate institutions represented

123

First-year students enrolled

30+

Undergraduate majors represented

Faculty

Another kind of legal counsel

Bob Farrell, professor of law, takes time to advise one of his students between classes. Professors like Farrell believe in an open-door policy, and building personalized relationships with their students.

Student-focused faculty

Our professors are distinguished scholars and experienced practitioners, including judges, public defenders, prosecutors, trial lawyers, corporate attorneys and PhDs. They bring a world of professional experience into the classroom and students benefit from their extensive professional networks.

While passionate scholars in their own right, our faculty members view teaching as their number one priority. Our professors are accessible and will often meet with students one-on-one in between or after classes. A low 11:1 student-to-faculty ratio allows them to spend more time on your individual needs. Personal mentoring begins even before your first class, and the relationships you build with faculty often continue after graduation and throughout your career.

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Natural inspiration

The School of Law is located on our picturesque North Haven Campus.

Student Experience

Harnessing the power of place

In the power corridor between New York City and Boston, our location puts you in the middle of one of the highest concentrations of private law firms, corporate headquarters and financial institutions in the United States. You'll be in the center of an active, intellectually progressive enclave where the future of law and legal practice is being shaped.

On campus, our students create an exceptionally supportive and active community focused on integrating personal and professional values.

With 3 law journals, approximately 30 student organizations and nationally recognized moot court, mock trial and dispute resolution competition teams, our law students get involved, exercise integrity and gain confidence. They volunteer, play intramural sports and participate in an annual spring auction so fellow students can work in public interest law during the summer.

Our students remain deeply engaged on campus throughout their education — something that feels natural and obvious here, but is not necessarily common among law schools.

A second family

Classmates share notes, help each other prepare for exams and study together. "It was pretty much the opposite of what I expected at law school," said Tatiana Fonseca '16 (right).

A place for inspiration

Law students have access to the university’s three picturesque campuses. Spread over 600 acres, the campuses are intentionally designed with places that invite active collaboration and quiet reflection.

Passion to help

Students involved in the Public Interest Law Project raise awareness on campus of social justice issues. Proceeds from their annual auction allow students each summer to work in public interest law. Here, Evan Dorney, JD '18 bids on an outing for four with Professor Cooper.

Career Development

Putting your education to work

Beyond preparing you to analyze, think and make a convincing argument, a JD opens up many career options. We’ll help you explore where your skills and passions can lead, then work with you on the best ways to get there.

Our career development office, staffed by lawyers with decades of experience, provides a range of counseling services. This includes resume and cover letter reviews, practice interviews and networking opportunities with area lawyers and fellow students. You’ll also benefit from the experience of our extensive network of more than 6,000 alumni who practice in Connecticut and beyond.

No matter your interest, we will arm you with the know-how to transform your legal education into a meaningful career.

Part-Time Options

Reimagine your career with part-time options

Are you looking to further your career, advance in your current organization or begin a new career? A law degree can open doors to many possibilities. For part-time students, we offer a range of flexible options tailored to meet your circumstances. With classes that begin at 6 p.m., you can take the same courses as your full-time peers, taught by the same outstanding faculty, on a schedule that suits your needs.

Whether you’re currently a corporate professional, firefighter, police officer, paralegal or stay-at-home parent, we are standing by, ready to help you succeed in law school and reimagine your career in the legal profession.

Part-time options

John Grasso, a fire chief in Massachusetts, is working toward his JD as a part-time student at the Quinnipiac School of Law.

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Designed for law students

Our state-of-the-art School of Law Center features a 150-seat, two-tiered courtroom (complete with judge's chambers and jury deliberation room), high-tech classrooms and the stunning two-story library.

Law Center

Purposefully designed for collaborative learning

Lecture halls alone don’t do a legal education justice. Spanning three floors and 150,000 square feet, Quinnipiac University School of Law offers all the resources you need to train for the legal profession. Our facilities include a 150-seat courtroom featuring a jury deliberation room and judge’s chambers, a fully equipped legal clinic supporting 20 practice areas, a dispute resolution suite and a mock trial practice room.

Practicing law successfully requires a team-based approach. The 13 classrooms in the School of Law are sophisticated, modern and designed for collaborative learning. They are complete with digital multimedia capabilities that allow for student-centered learning and access to vital information. Our 18 seminar-style rooms facilitate group work, while the library provides multiple reading areas for quiet study.

Our team-based approach to learning extends throughout our graduate-focused North Haven Campus where you can work alongside medical, nursing, health sciences, education and social work students. This creates a crossroads for professional learning and growth that you won’t find at many other law schools.

A shared space

Students study and collaborate in the Lynne L. Pantalena Law Library, where they have access to the latest resources and legal materials.

Library Video

Crossroads

Our Lynne L. Pantalena Law Library gives our students the freedom to focus on their work — as well as a common place to connect with their peers.

Lynne L. Pantalena Library

Inspiring design and impactful resources

Our Lynne L. Pantalena Law Library features an inspiring 220-foot long, three-story, light-filled atrium and leading-edge research technology. Among its extensive holdings are legal treatises dating back to the 18th century, a comprehensive collection of current journals and access to a full array of electronic databases, including Bloomberg Law, HeinOnline, LexisNexis, Westlaw and other web-based services. Our interlibrary loan network makes it possible to obtain materials from libraries around the world.

Academic Centers

Going far beyond the walls of the classroom

Two centers of unique academic strength — one in health law, the other in dispute resolution — provide enriched resources for students interested in those important fields.

Our Center on Dispute Resolution is reshaping the way lawyers practice. Led by nationally recognized professors, the center holds mock mediation sessions, allows you to work in the Civil Justice Clinic and gives you the chance to learn from judges, mediators and practicing attorneys. Under their guidance, you'll become creative and compassionate problem-solvers, inside the courtroom and out.

Quinnipiac is one of just a few universities in America offering both law and medical schools. Through the Center for Health Law and Policy, you'll have opportunities to take health-related courses, write for the Health Law Journal or join the Health Law Society. With these resources, you'll find the focus and preparation to tackle the complex and ethical challenges of a multi-faceted industry.

Admissions and Financial Aid

We’d love to meet you

From the moment you express interest in applying, you will discover what it means to become part of the Quinnipiac School of Law community. Our approachable admissions staff will answer any questions you have and will help guide you through the process of applying for admission and navigating your financial aid.

Have a question about our program? Unclear about the path between your education and a possible career? We'll put you in touch with our faculty — even before you are admitted. You'll be impressed with how much time and attention they'll share with you.